Push button container for capsules and tablets



June 20, 1967 J, M. LYON, JR 3,325,360

PUSH BUTTON CONTAINER FOR CAPSULES AND TABLETS I Filed May 25, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR.

June 20, 1967 J. M. LYON, JR 3,326,360

PUSH BUTTON CONTAINER FOR CAPSULES AND TABLETS Filed May 25, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

oe /77. Lz om Jr.

June 20, 1967 v J. M. LYON, JR 3,326,360

PUSH BUTTON CONTAINER FOR CAPSULES AND TABLETS Filed May 25, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 E r p; 9 f

"MAW/J4 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 369,874 4 Claims. (01. 296-42) My present invention is directed to containers or boxes having a relatively rigid base and having removable apertured cover means releasably mounted on the base receptacle, and provided with cooperating releasable'fastening means on the cover which engage portions of the base and means providing a plurality of compartments in an annular path which are adapted to hold small articles, for example capsules, medicinal tablets, or the like.

It is an important object of my invention to provide novel economically manufacturable containers for small articles of various sizes and shapes, such as capsules and medicinal tablets, which will fully protect the articles from contamination and from undesirable temperature changes and which are portable, compact and have releasably secured rotatable covers or seals which can be quickly pushed upon the base portions and snapped into releasable rotatable positions; and wherein said covers have one or more openings to permit either one or a predetermined quantity of said articles to be removed or discharged separately.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of a molded container having a base portion, an inner wall and partitions spaced inwardly from the outer wall to provide a plurality of article compartments of varying sizes and shapes in an annular path, and having an inward flange-like projection; and having a cover with downwardly extending recessed projections which engage the flange-like projections of the base portion to releasably though rotatably hold said cover on said base portion; said cover having one or more apertures therein to provide for selective discharge or removal of small articles from said compartments.

Other and further objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the base and receptacle portion of my capsule and tablet container with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a cross section and a partially perspective view of the cover of my capsule and tablet container.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of my base container.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken partially on a vertical plane, as indicated on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and

being an exploded view illustrating the inner cover and the outer hood or cap partially removed.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the cover of my novel container partially shown in FIG. 2, and showing a discharge opening therein.

FIG. 6 is a reduced cross sectional View of said cover and taken substantially on a vertical plane indicated by line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross section of a portion of a corner portion of a modified form of my cover.

As shown on the drawings:

Numeral 10 generally designates the container, receptacle and base portion of my improved container,

which is preferably molded from suitable plastic and which may vary in size and shape. Numeral 11 designates an integral depending, preferably enlarged, skirt, flange or peripheral portion of the continuous outer wall of said container 10, and which preferably has an inner continuous reinforcing bead 11a.

Formed integral with the outer wall of the container 10 is an upwardly opening channel or article-holding member 12 which has a continuous integral outer wall 13 integrally formed with a horizontal member or web 14 connecting it to the outer wall of the container 10. Said wall 13 preferably has arcuate portions as indicated in FIG. 3.

The inner portion of channel 10 has an inner integral continuous Wall 15 which has a plurality of spaced apart arcuate portions, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The respective spaced apart arcuate portions of inner wall 15 and arcuate portions of outer channel wall 13 define a plurality of spaced apart communicatively connected chambers or compartments 16 which may vary in size and shape and which are adapted to receive and to hold in spaced apart relation, in an annular path, a plurality of small articles of varying sizes and shapes, for example, capsules and medicinal tablets 17 or the like, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 3. At the ends of the plurality of compartments 16 the inner walls 15 and outer walls 13 are preferably merged and formed integral as indicated.

The inner wall 15 has formed integral therewith an inwardly extending projection or securing flange 17, which is preferably annular, and which a flange of an inner cover is adapted to releasably engage as hereinafter described.

I desire it to be understood that the shape and size of said base container and of said compartments may vary. in a wide range, though the same is illustrated in the drawings as being of rounded form.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6 numeral 18 designates generally a removable and rotatable inner cover which preferably is molded of suitable plastic and which has a central integral upwardly projecting grippable button-like projection or boss 19 and a downwardly opening peripheral groove 20 formed inward of and adjacent to its periphery. Said inner cover may have its periphery knurled, as indicated in FIG. 5 to facilitate rotation.

Formed integral with the middle portion of cover 18 is a depending annular slightly flexible flange 21 which is exteriorly beveled as at 22 and which has an annular outwardly opening recess or groove 23 formed therein. Said securing flange is of a size so that it will snugly fit and releasably engage the inner edge of flange 17 and snap into holding position partially below said flange, in which position it is rotatable, as illustrated FIG. 1. In such normally closed sealing position the inner cover 18 will be rotatable relative to the annular web 14 though held in closing position by the co-action of the flange 17 and flange 21 and its groove 23.

Formed in the peripheral portion of inner cover 18 inward of its periphery is formed One or more slots or apertures 24 through which the articles in the compartments 16 may be discharged or removed successively, according to the position to which said cover is rotated by the user.

In my preferred form illustrated, said inner cover has only one such hole 24. Said inner cover 18 is preferably of transparent slightly flexible plastic. The upwardly facing peripheral portions of the annular web 14 preferably has reproduced or afilxed thereon, suit-able markings or indicia to indicate to the user either time or frequency of the last previous removal of a capsule or pill and of times when future pills are to be removed. Such markings, partially indicated in FIG. 3, also serve as a guide for the times, for example, hourly or weekly markings, when one or more capsules or pills should be removed and used in accordance with a medical prescription.

As shown in FIG. 5 numeral 25 designates a plurality of downwardly opening slots, recesses or holes formed in the peripheral portion of inner cover 18 in an annular path. Formed integral with the web 14 is an upwardly extending projection, tooth or lug 26 which is located so that, as the cover 18 is rotated, said lug 26 will removably seat in one of the annularly spaced apart slots 25, to thereby releasably hold the cover in the desired position, for example, to hold it in the position from which a capsule or tablet has been removed and thereby hold it in closed position relative to the remaining capsules or tablets. When the user desires to remove another capsule or pill, he will'rotate the inner cover 18 to position the hole 24 over the next compartment to permit removal of the article therein. In such rotative movement, the inner cover will flex very slighly upward as the lug 26 is beveled. Said lug 26 may optionally be beveled only on one side, and its other side forming a vertical shoulder so that the inner cover cannot be normally rotated in a reverse direction.

When all or part of the compartments are loaded with such articles, the removed cover is rotatably set in a position wherein the opening 24 will overlie that portion of the container designated as 27 in FIG. 3 which has no article compartment below it. In such position all of the compartments are closed.

As a user desires to remove the articles such as capsules or tablets according to time or frequency which may be borne'on the face of web 14, he will manually rotate the cover to permit selective removal of one or more capsules or tablets for use.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 an outer protective hood cover or cap 29 which may optionally be utilized and which has an integrally formed continuous wall or skirt 30, and having a central opening, is adapted to be removably pressed into mounted position over said container and its inner cover 18,'so that said skirt frictionally engages a bead 31 formed on the lower portion of the skirt 11 of the container 10. Also formed integral with said closure cap or cover 29 are a pair of oppositely extending extensions or grippable ears or lugs 32, which facilitate selective rotation and removal of said outer cap or cover 29.

The hole 33 in outer cover 29 is of a size larger than the boss 19, so that said boss will project upwardly when said outer cover 29 is in closed sealing position.

In FIG. 7 is illustrated a cross section on a vertical plane of the upper corner portion of a modified form of base container and which has an annular inclined shoulder 33 which has formed integral therewith an inwardly extending annular apertured flange 30, the inner periphery of which defines a round opening in the middle of the base container. The flange 30 may have a plurality of spaced apart holes or recesses therein as previously described which represent openings to the spaced compartments which are adapted to be selectively closed as previously described.

Novel advantages of my described holder and container include the described features of construction which efliciently seal and protect the capsules and medicinal tablets or other articles from contamination during the relatively long period of storage and of intermittent uses thereof, and also the fact that the same may be manufactured economically and quickly.

Further advantages are to provide a portable container or dispenser from which articles, such as capsules or pills,

4 may be withdrawn selectively and in accordance with a time sequence and which will indicate to a user the time of a previous removal and of a prescribed future removal and use.

I desire to be understood that my novel dispenser and containers for capsules and tablets may be of varied shapes and sizes, for example of substantially rectangular or triangular form or of other varied geometric forms, and that the drawings forming part thereof are merely illustrative.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter and it is contemplated that various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a protective container for capsules or the like a base having an outer continuous wall terminating in an outwardly converging periphery;

an annular upwardly opening channel in said base, and

being integral with said base;

an integral flange on the inner portion of said channel defining an upper opening,

said channel having spaced apart partitions to form sep arate chambers,

a cover having a peripheral aperture and a slotted periphery and an upraised integral middle portion;

a depending recessed locking flange integral with the middle portion of said cover; said locking flange being adapted to releasably engage said first mentioned flange to hold said coved on said base though permitting rotation of said cover.

2. In a protective container for capsules or the like, a base member including an upper wall portion having a central circular opening therein and including means defining a plurality of capsule-receiving compartments in an-gularly spaced relation around said opening, a cover,

and means for releasably securing said cover on said base member and for journaling said cover for rotation on said base member, comprising: integral depending locking means on said cover adapted to snap into said opening and to hold said cover on said base member while permitting relative rotation of said cover and said base member, said cover having an opening therein selectively alignable with said compartments to permit removal of capsules therefrom.

3. In a protective container as defined in claim 2, said cover having a central upwardly extending projecting portion, and a cup-like cap removably mounted over said cover having a skirt portion adapted to slidably engage an outer portion of said base member and having a central aperture through which said projecting portion of said cover extends when said cap is placed on said cover and base.

4. In a protective container for capsules or the like, a base member including an upper wall portion having a central circular opening therein and including means defining a plurality of capsule-receiving compartments in angularly spaced relation around said opening, a cover, and means for releasably securing said cover on said base member and for journaling said cover for rotation on said base member, comprising: integral depending lockingmeans on said cover adapted to snap into said opening and to hold said cover on said base member, said locking means comprising an element having a beveled end for engagement with an edge of said wall portion at said opening to cam said element radially inwardly when assembling 5 said cover on said base member and having an outwardly facing recess for lockingly receiving said edges of said wall portion, said cover having an opening therein selectively alignabie with said compartments to permit removal of capsules therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,408,150 9/1946 Moeller 206-42 6 2,559,254 7/1951 Lundstrom 20642 X 2,621,782 12/ 1952 Feifers 20642 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,139,899 2/ 1957- France.

578,736 7/ 1946 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DOUBLE ACTING AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTER FOR THE BRAKE LINKAGE IN A RAILWAY CAR, A HOUSING INCLUDING TELESCOPING TUBES EACH OF WHICH IS CONNECTED TO A DIFFERENT PORTION OF SAID BRAKE LINKAGE, A THREADED ADJUSTING ROD EXAN ANNULAR UPWARDLY OPENING CHANNEL IN SAID BASE, AND BEING INTEGRAL WITH SAID BASE; AN INTEGRAL FLANGE ON THE INNER PORTION OF SAID CHANNEL DEFINING AN UPPER OPENING, SAID CHANNEL HAVING SPACED APART PARTITIONS TO FORM SEPARATE CHAMBERS, A COVER HAVING A PERIPHERAL APERTURE AND A SLOTTED PERIPHERY AND AN UPRAISED INTEGRAL MIDDLE PORTION; A DEPENDING RECESSED LOCKING FLANGE INTEGRAL WITH THE MIDDLE PORTION OF SAID COVER; SAID LOCKING FLANGE BEING ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY ENGAGE SAID FIRST MENTIONED FLANGE TO HOLD SAID COVED ON SAID BASE THOUGH PERMITTING ROTATION OF SAID COVER. 